This present invention relates to displaying images of one or more candidate items to assist operators with identification of an item to be purchased during a transaction at a checkout station, and more specifically to a pick list optimization method.
Barcode readers are well known for their usefulness in retail checkout and inventory control. For example, an imaging barcode reader typically includes one or more cameras which capture images of an item, including a barcode on the item. The imaging barcode reader decodes the barcode to obtain information identifying the item.
In the case of items that don't easily lend themselves to being labeled with barcodes, retail checkout systems typically display lists of candidate items to assist an operator in making a proper identification of such items. The lists are often called “pick lists” and may include images of the items to aid identification. A common example of such an item is a produce item.
Even with a pick list of candidate items, some operators may still have trouble identifying produce items. There may be many candidate images that appear similar to the item to be purchased. Further, the candidate images may not be accurate enough.
Therefore, it would be desirable to optimize the pick list. It would be further desirable to optimize the pick list based upon information captured from the item to be purchased by a scanner.